The Evolution of WWE’s Summerslam: 25 Years of Pain Revisited

Just one year after winning the Intercontinental title, and rocketing to the top of the rankings with his technical prowess and ability to connect with the fans, Bret Hart would have his toughest test to date when he would face his (real-life) brother-in-law and fellow fan-favorite, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, in Smith’s own backyard at London’s Wembley Stadium. Over 80,000 fans in attendance witnessed what some say is one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time. After 25 minutes of classic action, “The Bulldog” was the one left with his hand raised and the belt around his waist.

The Undertaker was always one of the most unique characters to ever step inside a wrestling ring, but when Mankind (Mick Foley) burst onto the scene in the mid 90’s, we were treated to perhaps an even more demented and possibly psychotic character that would go as far as hurting himself to injure others. So, it was only right for their major encounter at Summerslam, that they engage in the first ever Boiler Room Brawl. The match started in the arena’s boiler room and the point was to destroy your opponent with anything that wasn’t nailed down. Why the match itself was violent, it was the swerve ending that left fans’ jaws hanging.

During the summer of ’97, Stone Cold Steve Austin was waging war with the Hart family, specifically Bret Hart’s younger brother, Intercontinental Champion Owen Hart. After 15 minutes of back and forth action between the two veterans, Owen Hart dropped Austin on the top of his head in a pile-driver maneuver, and essentially broke Austin’s neck. Lying motionless for several minutes, he was finally able to drag himself over to Owen for a rather weak and sloppy cover attempt. Stone Cold would require surgery eventually and his career was never the same.